Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
4-6-4 "Hudson" Locomotives

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad purchased twelve Hudsons from
the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930. These 4-6-4's were designated Class
S-4 and assigned road numbers 3000 through 3011. The CB&Q also built two
Hudsons in its own shops and assigned them road numbers 3012 and 4001. There
are five surviving CB&Q
Hudsons and they are on display at locations in Iowa, Illinois and
Wisconsin.

Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class S-4 (Locobase 181)

Corbin & Kerka (1960, p 106) and CB&Q 3 - 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Raildata collection. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for pointing out the error in renumbering for the second Zephyr-style streamliner.) See also DeGolyer, Vol 81, pp. 329+. Works numbers were 61445-61446 in August 1930, 61500-61501 in September, 61525-61528 in October, and 61555-61558 in November.

Twelve by Baldwin, a thirteenth (S-4A) by the West Burlington shops using a Baldwin boiler. All but 4001 had Elesco feedwater heaters; 4001 had a Worthington. Other goodies included a Barco Type 4 power reverse gear, Type B stokers, and 14" diameter pistons. Firebox heating surface included 43 sq ft (4.0 sq m) of arch tubes and 70 sq ft (6.5 sq m) of combustion chamber.

Corbin & Kerka report that when these locomotives went into service pulling such trains as the Ak-Sar-Ben, the Aristocrat, and the Black Hawk, the Burlington was able to do away with swapping one locomotive for another during the trip. One is credited with hauling ten standard passenger cars between Cochrane and La Crosse (Wis) at 112 mph. The authors conclude "The 4-6-4 types were perhaps the some of the most successful locomotives used on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy."

One (3002) was streamlined to resemble the stainless-steel Zephyrs, renumbered 4000 and called Aeolus and nicknamed "Big Alice the Goon." After her success, a second was built from scratch and numbered 4001.

The modification, dubbed S-4A, was more than cosmetic. They also received Box-Pok drivers and roller bearings in the lightweight side rods. Three more S-4s (3008, 3009, and 3011) received the running gear upgrades in 1938, but not the shrouds. They were renumbered 4003-4005.